1998 in France

Events from the year 1998 in France.

Fandom france:1998

Incumbents

Events

6 February – The French prefect Claude Erignac is assassinated in the streets of Ajaccio, Corsica.
15 March – Cantonales Elections held.
15 March – Regional Elections held.
22 March – Cantonales Elections held.
April – The Renault Laguna is restyled more than four years after its launch. An all-new model is due in the year 2000.
11 May – The first euro coins are minted in Pessac, France. Because the final specifications for the coins were not finished in 1998, they will have to be melted and minted again in 1999.
12 June – The Football World Cup commences in France. The host nation defeats South Africa 3–0 in their opening group game. Christophe Dugarry and Thierry Henry are on the scoresheet, with an own goal from opponent Pierra Issa completing the victory.
18 June – France's World Cup quest continues in fine form with a 4–0 win over Saudi Arabia in which Thierry Henry scored twice, with the other goals coming from David Trezeguet and Bixente Lizarazu.
24 June – France are group winners and progress to the last 16 of the World Cup with a 2–1 win over Denmark in which Youri Djorkaeff and Emmanuel Petit score.
28 June – An extra time goal by Laurent Blanc gives France a 1–0 win over Paraguay in the last 16 of the World Cup.
3 July – France win the World Cup quarter final against Italy on penalties after a goalless draw.
8 July – France reach the World Cup final with a semi-final win over Croatia. Defender Lilian Thuram is on the scoresheet twice in a 2–1 win.
12 July – France are football world champions for the first time ever with a 3–0 win over holders Brazil at the Stade de France. Zinedine Zidane scores twice before Emmanuel Petit's injury time goal completes the victory.
10 September – Peugeot launches the all-new 206 supermini, a replacement for the long-running 205. It gives Peugeot a much more modern car to rival the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo.
31 December – The final Peugeot 205 rolls off the assembly line, more than 15 years after production began. It was mostly sold only in France for the last two years of its production, having been one of Europe's best selling cars in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its replacement is the 206, which has been built in France and Britain since the autumn.

Arts and literature

Claude Serre, French cartoonist

Sport

10 June – 1998 FIFA World Cup begins in France.
28 June – French Grand Prix takes place, won by Michael Schumacher of Germany.
11 July – Tour de France begins in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.
12 July – World Cup ends, won by France.
2 August – Tour de France ends, won by Marco Pantani of Italy.

Births

11 March – Axel Disasi, footballer
2 October – Maxime Godart, actor
22 October – Cécile Haussernot, chess player
17 December – Pierre Gouzou, trampoline gymnast
20 December – Kylian Mbappé, footballer

Deaths

January to March

18 January – Georges Coudray, politician
28 January – Louise Laroche, one of the last remaining survivors of the sinking of the RMS Titanic
6 February – Marcela Delpastre, author
9 February – Maurice Schumann, politician
1 March – Jean Marie Balland, Roman Catholic cardinal
30 March – Michèle Arnaud, singer, producer and director

April to June

4 April – Pierre Lantier, composer and pianist
8 April – René Pellos, artist
13 April – Patrick de Gayardon, skydiver, skysurfer and BASE jumper
19 April – Armand Jammot, television producer
21 April – Jean-François Lyotard, philosopher and literary theorist
22 April – Régine Pernoud, historian and medievalist
27 April – Anne Desclos, journalist and novelist
13 May – Chantal Mauduit, alpinist
14 June – Ginette Mathiot, food writer
14 June – Éric Tabarly, sailor
29 June – Louis Hostin, weightlifter and Olympic champion
30 June – Léon Arthur Elchinger, Bishop of Strasbourg
June – Jean Emile Charon, nuclear physicist

July to December

4 July – Roger Calmel, composer
6 August – André Weil, mathematician
6 October – Jean-François Jenny-Clark, double bass player
October – René Pleimelding, soccer player
8 November – Jean Marais, actor
10 November – Jean Leray, mathematician
11 November – Gérard Grisey, composer
13 November – Edwige Feuillère, actress
13 November – Claude Serre, cartoonist
November – Gustave Malécot, mathematician

Full date unknown

Maurice Bardèche, essayist, literary and art critic, journalist and Neo-Fascist
Lucien Bodard, reporter and writer on events in Asia
Jean-Pierre Brucato, soccer player
Philippe Charbonneaux, product designer
Louis Dumont, anthropologist
Jacques Médecin, politician
Jean-Jacques Millant, bow maker
Jackie Sardou, actress
Marc Sautet, philosopher and writer
Pierre Villette, composer